In March 2021, during a famous interview with Oprah Winfrey, the Dukes of Sussex, without naming names, accused a member of the royal family of making inappropriate comments about Archie’s skin color. The incident at the time was partly overcome thanks to the wise and always measured response of Queen Elizabeth, who, above all, acknowledged her concerns about this, while emphasizing that “sometimes memories can differ.” A year and a half later, another earthquake struck Corona. The specter of racism returns to Buckingham Palaceprecisely on the occasion of the first event organized by Camilla in the palace without Carlo, distant due to institutional obligations.
The two protagonists of this diplomatic incident are Lady Susan Hussey, octogenarian, Dean of the Court, former lady-in-waiting to the late Queen and godmother to Prince William, and Ngozi Fulani., founder of Sistah Space in East London, which fights against domestic violence against women. While the Queen Consort honored the house and greeted her guests, including Elena Zelenskaya, Queen Rania of Jordan, Queen Mathilde of Belgium and Princess Mary of Denmark, at an evening dedicated to domestic and gender-based violence, the two women found themselves talking about topics which were anything but institutional. No mention of health or time as good manners dictate, instead ambiguous and persistent questions about the Fulani’s country of origin.
“Where are you from?” asks the former lady-in-waiting, who just a few days ago was transferred to the role of “mistress of the house” by Carlo. “Sistah Space,” the black woman replies, convinced that the question is about her association. — No, where are you from? insists William’s godmother. “We are based in Hackney,” Fulani replies. At this point, the 83-year-old lady tries to be more frank and asks: “No, What part of Africa are you from?? The question that horrified the guest, to whom Hussie always spoke shortly thereafter: “What is your nationality? Where are your people from? Questions worthy of the most brilliant British colonial past of the nineteenth century, and not the modern and multicultural London of the 21st century, which in 2016 elected Sadiq Khan as its first Pakistani-Muslim mayor.
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The awkward conversation was made known to the person concerned who reported the episode on social media., then picked up by all the British tabloids. “It was a gradual feeling, this lady came from nowhere. She demanded to know where I came from. No matter how many times I wrote back to her, it wasn’t the answer she wanted,” she told the Mirror. “It went on for five or ten minutes. Gradually I realized that I had to do something about it, but what? What can I do? I dealt with it the best I could. committed in front of people, on a day when we must fight violence against women. I just wanted to leave, felt very unwanted. I have never lived anywhere, I have only lived in Britain. come and tell me to have someone insist that I’m not British… These were not his words, but this is a subtext. I don’t know how to process it.”
A bad page for the Crown and damage to the image of William and Kate on a historic three-day tour of the United States, now in danger of being overshadowed by Lady Susan’s disclaimer. However, the answer from the heir to the throne was not long in coming: “This is a question that concerns Buckingham Palace, but As a representative of the Prince of Wales, I was very disappointed to hear about the guests’ experience at Buckingham Palace yesterday.. Obviously I wasn’t there, but racism has no place in our society. The comments were unacceptable and it is only right that the man should have resigned immediately.” From what was revealed by the palace, Lady Susan apologized and resigned from all her positions at court in the hope that it was enough to calm the indignant reaction of public opinion, by far the worst way to end decades of an honorable career at court.
Source: Elle